Roof strainer



Patented June 19, 1928.

SAMUEL SILVERMAN, or NEWVYORK, 1v. y assrenon ro RooF 8 33mm consona-TION, on NEW YORK, 1v. Y., A coa1 onArro1\T or NE YORK;

noon STRA NER.

Application filed June 3,1925. serial no. 34,576.

The present invention relates to improvements in roof strainers, that isto say to strainers applicable to roof drains to pre vent the saiddrains from becoming clogged.

The main object of the invention is to provide a strainer for use onroofs, which is simple in construction, efficient in operation andcapable of manufacture on a commercial scale, or in other wordsone whichis not so difiicult to make as to be beyond the reasonable cost of sucha contrivanoe.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the strainer that itextends a sub stantial distance above the surface to be drained and isso constructed that, even if its normally acting portion is clogged bytar, gravel or other sediment from the roof, it still carries off thewater from the latter.

A further object of the invention is to so design the strainer that itwill properly function not only under ordinary circumstances but also incase of a sudden cloudburst or the like.

lVith these and other objects in View,

' which will more fully appear as the nature of the invention, is betterunderstood, the

same consists in the combination, arrangement and construction of partshereinafter described, pointed out in the appended claims andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, it being understood that manychanges may be made in the size and proportion of the several parts anddetails of construction within the scope of the appended claims, withoutdeparting from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of theinvention. 4

One of the many possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated inthe accompanying. drawings, in which Figure 1 is a central verticalsection taken through a strainer constructed in accordance with thepresent invention, in operative relation to a roof drain; and Fig. 2 isa top plan View of the said strainer.

In the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates a roof structure, in which isprovided a drain opening 11, lined by a casing 12, to the latter beingjoined a drain pipe 13. To the top of the casing is fitted a strainer14, in the form of a cup-shaped member, inverted over the casing 12 andprovided with a rim 15, snugly fitting an annular shoulder 16 of thesaid casing. The cup-shaped member extends a substantial distance abovethe surface to be drained and is provided with a series of slots 17, toprovide drain passages therethrough. These slots extend from the rim l5upwards and are narrower at their lower ends than at their upper ends,as clearly shown in the drawings. In the top portion of the cup shapedmember are provided a plurality of large openings 18, any dimensionofthe same being considerably larger than the largest width of any ofthe slots 17.

The cup-shaped member may be held in position upon the casing 12 in anysuitable manner, pro-vision being usually made to make a substantiallywater-tight joint between the said casing and cup-shaped element. Theseelements, however, have not been shown in the drawings as they do notform part of the present invention. v

The rain water flows on the roof toward the drain opening' 11 andthrough the slots 17 into the casing 12, to be carried ofi? by the drainpipe 13. Tar, gravel, or other sediment from the roof is intercepted bythe strainer, so that clogging of the drain pipe is prevented. The slots17 are narrower at their lower ends than at their upper ends in order toprevent passing of large sized, gravel or other material therethrough,the large sized material always being carried toward the drain openingon the surface of the roof. Ordinarily the lower portions of the slots17 are only in use. If in time the lower portions of these slots becomeclogged, the water rises around the strainer and flows through the'upperportions of the slots toward the roof drain. Should in time the slotsbecome entirely,

clogged, the water flows through the large openings 18 toward the drainpipe. These large openings are, therefore, in the nature of emergencyinlets to the drain pipe. These large openings will also serve to carryoff water from the roof in case of a cloudburst, when the slots may notbe of sufiicient size for proper drainage.

If the strainer is to be cleaned, it can be conveniently detached fromthe casing 12.

What I claim is o 1. The combination with a roof having a drain pipeterminating a substantial dis-' tance below the roof surface, a casingconnected to said drain pipe having a mar ginal depression'at its upperend, and a cup-shaped strainer havingv a flanged rim fitting Within saiddepression and slightly below the top surface of the roof with saidstrainer inverted over said casing, said casing'having a plurality ofapering slots eX- tending from adjacent its lower rim' upwards, thewidth of the slots being greatest at the upper end of the strainer, saistrainer being also providedin its top face with a plurality ofopenings, any dimend New York,

sion of which is larger than the largest Width of any of said slots.

2. The combination according to claim 1 in which the top face and sidesof the 15 strainer are divided by a spider formatio to oollectivelseparate the slots and top openings of tie strainer.

Signed at New York, in the county of and State of New York, this 20 25thday of -May, A. D. 1925.

SAMUEL SILVERMAN.

